February 26, 2021
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, IN
This Sunday's Service
Sunday, February 28, 2021
10:15 am Livestream
Beloved Community 
Reverend David Pyle, UUA MidAmerica Region
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, UUCB
The communities we seek to build as Unitarian Universalists are fundamentally different than many of the other communities we are a part of, because we invite people to invest their deepest values and beliefs while asking these same people to center one another in the journey. Reverend David Pyle, Regional Lead for the MidAmerica Region, will share how working with soldiers within the Moral Injury and Soul Repair framework informs his ministry with Unitarian Universalist congregations who seek to build Beloved Communities.
If you miss the livestream, you can view archived videos on our website.
Early Bird Coffee Hour at 9:15 am
Bring your coffee and join us at 9:15 on Sunday mornings to relax with friends and enjoy your coffee before the service. Click on this link to register for the early bird coffee hour and receive the Zoom link.
Connect with Our UU Community during
Virtual Coffee Hour
Everyone is welcome to join us after the worship service, until 12:30 pm, for engaging conversation in Virtual Coffee Hour. 
Just click on this link after the service to join us!
 
Breakout Rooms this Sunday:
  • Gardening
  • Choir
  • General Discussion
  • 4th-6th Graders
Reverend Macklin and Adrienne Summerlot Away in March
Reverend Macklin and Director of Religious Education, Adrienne Summerlot, will have the month of March off. Next week we welcome back Reverend Emily Manvel Leite and Church Administrator, Carol Marks, who have been away for the month of February. We thank all of our staff and ministers for the extra time, energy, and effort required by these pandemic times. 
A Re-Opening Working Group has been formed
With vaccines becoming more widely available, we have begun to receive inquiries about when the church will reopen. At the same time, we know that many members of the congregation remain concerned about COVID-19 infections.

The Board along with the ministers recently formed a Working Group to begin a discussion of re-opening plans for the church. The members of the group are Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Reverend David Clements, Abby Gitlitz, Ann LeDuc, Jane McLeod, and Melinda Swenson.

The Working Group will meet over the next several months to discuss questions such as:
  • What metrics will we use to make decisions about re-opening?
  • How do we transition back to being present in the building? When we open the building back up, what does that look like? Who will be present in the building, at what times, and for what purposes?
  • What are the implications of our plans for the ministers, staff, and members of the congregation?

The committee’s recommendations for re-opening will be shared with the Board which will make final decisions in consultation with the ministers. The committee also will report back regularly to the congregation.   

One thing we have learned during the pandemic is that our church community is not defined by the building. As we begin to consider re-opening plans, we remain mindful of the need to be a beacon in the community.

We welcome any input that you might have. Please send ideas, questions, and concerns to Abby Gitlitz at agitlitz(at)hotmail.com or Jane McLeod at jmcleod(at)indiana.edu.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION UPDATES
  • UU Home Monthly Kits and Practicing Our Promises Boxes are out for delivery.  
  • Anti-Racist Families meets this Sunday at 11:30 am via Zoom - contact Adrienne Summerlot if you have any questions.
  • 4th-6th Graders are invited to join Martha Nord and Laura Jesseph during coffee hour to play connection bingo and have a mini-virtual reunion!  
  • Visit our webpage for family-friendly activities to explore this month!

Reminder: Reverend Emily Manvel Leite is away for the month of February. Please contact Adrienne Summerlot or Stephanie Kimball for any Religious Education questions or support.
Congregational Read: Weekly Reflections & Resources
Facilitated discussion groups won’t be meeting this coming week, Feb 28-March 6, but please do visit the Congregational Read resource page of the church website for week 1 and 2 prompts and additional links about the book.
Gardeners Unite!
This Sunday during Virtual Coffee Hour all types and levels of gardeners are invited to gather in a special discussion group for Gardeners. This is a great opportunity to learn from other gardeners and share your gardening experiences. Join the fun following the service on Sunday - use this link to enter Virtual Coffee Hour and ask for the "Gardeners' Gathering."
-- Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator 
UU Freethinkers meet February 28, 12:45 pm
The UU Freethinkers will meet this Sunday at 12:45 pm via Zoom for an open discussion of social, political, and theological/religious issues. If you'd like to join us, please contact Harold Ogren, ogrenh (at) gmail.com, to get the link to the Zoom meetings and to be added to our email discussion list.
Join the New UU Online Book Club on March 1 at 6:30 pm via Zoom
This month's book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, will help us dive into February's congregational theme of Beloved Community. We will discuss the first half of the book (to page 165) on March 1. If you are interested in joining us, please sign up here for the Zoom link: UU Book Club Registration
-- Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
25% Sunday Plate Fund: Nomination Process for 2021-2022
Applications available March 1
Application deadline April 15
The process for nominating our next local non-profit agency to receive 25% of Sunday non-pledge plate collections is approaching. An application form with guidelines will become available on March 1, 2021 for those who would like to nominate an agency to receive the funds from July 2021 – June 2022. The application deadline will be April 15th, after which the Social Justice Funds Committee will choose three nominee finalists for the congregation to vote on at the spring congregational meeting on June 6th. More details here: Social Justice Funds Committee: 25% Sunday Plate Fund.

Our contributions to the current recipient, Monroe County United Ministries Compass Early Learning Center, is $3814 in the first two fiscal quarters (with 2 more quarters to go!). The total donated to Volunteers in Medicine, last year’s recipient, was $8323! What local non-profit agency would you like to see be our next recipient? Contact Denise Ogren, SJFC Chair, at uucbsjfunds (at) uubloomington.org with any questions.
Visit with the Connections Coordinator Fridays at 3:30 pm
Join the Connections Coordinator, Ann LeDuc, on Zoom Fridays, 3:30-4:30 pm. Ask your questions, or just visit. Everyone is welcome to drop-in. Additional ways to contact Ann are via email at connect(at)uubloomington.org or phone at (812) 720-3688. Use this link to drop-in and talk to Ann on Fridays at 3:30 p.m.
COVID-19 Vaccination News
Help Keep Beacon Winter Shelter Open
Concerned Bloomington community members quickly came together to create the Beacon Winter Shelter. Now it's up to us to keep it open. Click here for details about how you can help. Donations may be placed in the bins on the north side of the church that are labeled Beacon Winter Shelter - LARGE BLACK PLASTIC TRASH BAGS are currently needed.
You can also donate financially via Beacon's PayPal page. Or, if you are writing a check, make it payable to "Beacon, Inc." and mail it to Beacon, Inc., Donations, PO Box 451 / 620 S. Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN 47402-0451. Be sure to write Winter Shelter in the memo. Note: This is not a fundraiser for our Homeless task force, but an encouragement for people to support the shelter directly.
Help Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Task Force
Collecting Kitchen Items for New Hope for Families
For JANUARY & FEBRUARY our food drive will focus on New Hope for Families. We often think of food for those in need, but we overlook kitchen items that enable people to COOK the food. For a list of needed items, click here.
Green Sanctuary Task Force Weekly Tips

Make the switch in your kitchen from paper to cloth! Replace paper towels and napkins with a drawer or basket full of dish cloths that can be washed and reused. Swedish dish cloths are also an excellent investment for dishes and surfaces (quick dry & machine washable).
Community Connections

Noah’s Ark Hosts Dialogue Justice Event February 28, 2 - 5 pm
Building Hope: Sharing Our Life-Changing Practices and Actions
What has kept you in balance, what has brought you hope, what has allowed your heart to stay open, what has helped you to persist? You will have an opportunity to share some of the practices and actions that have kept you engaged in the process of change, kept your hope burning, your courage ongoing, your attitude positive and your energy centered. On Sunday, February 28th from 2-5pm, please join Noah's Ark and others from our community, including Donald Griffin Jr. and Amy Makice, to share practices and actions that continue to shine light, guiding us through the dark times we have been experiencing. Listen to, learn from, and respond to authentic dialogue among community and faith leaders including Annette Briggs, Forrest Gilmore, Jimmy Moore, and Maqube Reese as they share their responses to our challenging times. The Zoom link for the event is below - please sign in 10-15 minutes early and have paper and pencil handy to help you reflect during the dialogue time.
Deadline for submissions to the Order of service and Friday UU Update
Thursday, 9 am, to office(at)uubloomington.org
Masthead photo by Linda Mjolsnes, Mockingbird.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Mailing address during covid:
UU Church, PO Box 1158,
Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158